Wal-Mart video footage captures suspects during robbery

WASHINGTON CITY — Washington City Police arrested two men Thursday early morning after their second attempt to steal merchandise left a trail of video footage for police officers to follow.

Washington City Police responded to the Wal-Mart Supercenter, 625 West Telegraph St. in Washington, around 1 a.m. on a reported robbery.

According to the probable cause statement file in support of the arrests, one officer had suspicions the two suspects were the same ones from a previous retail theft that had occurred several hours earlier that day.

Police officers reviewed Wal-Mart’s video recordings reaffirming the notion that the suspects were the same. They were identified as St. George resident Tory James Borden, 30, and Cedar City resident Jody Mason Sharp, 18.

Tory James Borden of St. George, Utah, booking photo posted July 3, 2014 | Photo courtesy of Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Video footage showed Sharp and Borden walk up to the front of the store with merchandise in their hands and pass all checkout stands. As they made their way toward the exit doors, Borden was approached by an employee who asked to see their receipt. Borden set down the television set he was holding and began to hit the employee.

“In the video you can see Jody push the Walmart employee out of the way of the door after the employee was struck,” the officer wrote in the probable cause statement.

Then Borden and Sharp fled the scene.

St. George Police were able to track down Borden’s vehicle near North Bluff Street, pull them over and detain Borden and Sharp.

Upon further investigation, Wal-Mart merchandise from the previous retail theft was found inside of Borden’s vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and a green leafy substance recognized as marijuana.

During the drive to the jail, Washington City Police Officer Colton Skeem learned that Borden had placed his cuffed hands in front of him.

“I had him step out and observed the door handle inside the vehicle was broken. There was a small screw on the arm rest from holding the door handle in,” according to the statement. “I asked Tory (Borden) if he broke it and he said no. I advised him it wasn’t that way when I placed him in there. He said he didn’t break it.”

Borden and Sharp were both arrested and booked into the Washington County’s Purgatory Correctional Facility.

Borden was charged with one second-degree felony for robbery, one class-B misdemeanor for drug possession, one class-B misdemeanor for drug paraphernalia and one class-B misdemeanor for theft of less than $500. According to bookings information Borden’s bail stands at $11,869.

Sharp was charged with one second-degree felony for robbery and two class-B misdemeanors for retail theft. According to bookings information Sharp’s bail stands at $11,246.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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About the Author

Aspen is a student at Dixie State University finishing her bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. During her free time, she often finds herself venturing through the desert. Above all, she loves to whisk away into creative pursuits and study an assortment of random topics.